Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty — Restaurant in Port Townsend

As we walked around Port Townsend, we came across a little cafe called "Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty." With the name alone, I knew we had to try it! Luckily they posted a menu on the outside, so we pretty much knew what we wanted going in. Although I have to mention, my mind swayed a couple of different times towards three or four other items, in the long run, Vegans Shepard Pie Pasty won out!

This little cafe was clean, uncluttered, with a menu full of tasty-sounding delights. We ordered and promptly took a seat and waited. A few minutes later, out came our pasty (by the way we split it) with house dipping sauce on the side; the smell alone reassured me I had chosen the right place to have lunch! The Vegan Shepards Pasty included a homemade ground beef (cauliflower, walnuts, mushroom), onions, carrots, green peas, and mashed potatoes surrounded by a delicate, slightly flaky crust and a housemade vegan brown sauce on the side. What can I say about it? It was heavenly, with and without the sweet, savory brown sauce. Also, what a perfect place for vegans; they offer up several dishes just for vegans, and they all sound just as good! The housemade sauce itself was so yummy and reminded me of a cross between HP Sauce and A1 Sauce.

The employee who took our order was friendly enough, with no leaps and bounds of friendliness, and she never went out of her way to check on us or offer more water, but she wasn't rude either; and not enough to deter me from ever going back!

Tommyknockers Cornish Pasty's location is 711 Water Street, Port Townsend, Washington, the heart of downtown. Caddy cornered from 1st Security Bank.

For anyone wanting an incredible meal while supporting this extraordinary small business, then you must try Tommyknockers; I'm pretty positive you won't be...

The amount of people giving this place a five star review is mind boggling. Right off the bat the experience is awkward. You have to order at the counter but you are given table menus and told to seat yourselves. So right away we lost our place in line.

Second, this place suffers from an identity crisis. It sells itself as a local, traditional “pasty” place, but is also covered with British soccer paraphernalia and TV’s in every corner playing American sports news channels. The tables are adorned with self serve silverware holders and book bins that have inappropriate adult themed comic books to read. I mean… what?

Third, this is not a pasty. The food was boring and bland. If you’re expecting a yummy, warm, flavorful pasty like you might find in the Northern Midwest, then just walk away now. We paid $60 (!) for two pasties and a bowl of pasta with cheese sauce poured over it. Both pasties had yesterday’s repurposed whole chicken thighs inside that seemed boiled and unseasoned. Both arrived cold and virtually tasteless, served with cold sauce on the side. The chicken and chorizo didn’t even have any heat to it. How can a dish with chorizo not have any spice or flavor to it? Clearly someone isn’t tasting the food they serve.

Lastly, the wait. Pasties should be lined up, made ahead of time with a love for food and flavor, ready to be popped into the oven, served warm and ready. Maybe even pre baked, waiting for that final touch. These weren’t either. Ours were thrown together in a rush and it showed. We waited 30 minutes for something less than mediocre and bland.

I’ll admit, all the “Best place” awards printed on the backroom Inkjet printer and taped to the front window caught my attention but I’ve had better food at a dive bar. Don’t...

Night deux! We are visiting Port Townsend for birthday celebrations. We decided to eat at @tommyknockerscornishpasty - mostly because as a vegan and the birthday person I wanted tasty food that fits my dietary constraints.

We found this place by accident through a @googlesearch. What a grand find! It’s on the north end of mainstreet near a gelato shop that also has vegan options! Double the fun was had by all.

The no -vegan part of our party found a number of dishes that looked at smelled delicious. They also have a good selection on refreshment on tap.

The vegan options for night 1 included the mushroom stroganoff and vindeloo pasty. The cream sauce was more than compatible to a non-vegan dish. The portioned so big my husband had to help me finish it. Albeit the sauce - that was MINE!

His pasty was a flaky crust stuffed full of root veggies and came with a mango salsa that was rosy and flavorful.

The staff was super friendly and helpful with suggestions. There was o problem with seating - they have inside and outside options.

Parking is the only bugaboo and that want too bad on either day. Day 1 we parked far enough away to get a nice stroll there and back. Day 2 we got parking within two blocks and didn’t get the chance to burn off those scrumptious calories from the vegan flatbread pizza and vindaloo again.

Worth the time to stop as they have options for everyone and take care for individual preparation...